Improvement in crutches



f UNITED STATES JOHN D. `W. WEMIIE, OF ALBANY, NEW Y OBK.

IMPROVEMENT IN cRUTcHEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,854, dated September 8, 1863.

I'o @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN D. W. WEMPLE, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Orutch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exa-ct description of the same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of. this specication, in which- V Figure l is an elevation of my invention, partly in section 5 Fig. 2, an enlarged view of one of the joints pertaining to the same Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional view of' the `lower part of the crutch, taken in the line ac a", Fig.`1.

Similar letters oi' reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention has a threefold objectto wit, first, to construct or provide the crutch with joints, so arranged as to admit of it be- .ing folded and rendered compact for the convient stowing away when not in use-as, for instance, when the user or owner is seated in a vehicle; second, to provide the crutch with a point or spur at its lower end, so arranged wlth certain parts hereinafter fully described, that the point or spur may be exposed when required for use-as, for instance, in traveling over ice, and be covered or inclosed when not required for useas, for instance, when the crutch is used in the house and the point or spur would injure carpets or a good flooring; third, in applying springs to the crutch in such a manner that the full benefit of their elasticity will be obtained at all points oftheir movement or tension, and the springs thereby rendered much more efticient than those previously used.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the central part of the crutch, which is composed of two parallel, or nearly parallel rods, a a, connected by a crass-bar, Z, the latter serving as the handle of the crutch. These parts may be constructed of hickory or any other suitable wood.

B represents the lower'` part of the crutch, which is composed of a forked part, formed of two prongs, c c, which are connected to the lower ends of the rods a c of the part A by joints C, consisting of metal plates d d, the ends of which are secured by pivots e in a c. These joints are made rigid by means of tubular-slides f f, which are fitted on the rods a a, and admit of being pressed down over the joints and some distance upon the prongs o c, the latter beingrather larger in diameter than n, and ofslightly taper form, so that the slides, when shoved downthe proper distance. will bind snugly on them. The joints are about at the center of the crutch, so that the two parts which they connect will, when folded, reduce the length of the crutch just one-half. The two prongs c c are connected at their lower ends by a ferrule, g, into which a rod, h, is fitted and permanently secured, and-into this rod a point or spur, D, is driven.

yE is a slide, constructed of a metal tube, and fitted loosely on the rod'h, so that it may slide freely thereon. The slide E is secured on the rod h by what is generally termed a bayonet-catch]7 the same being composed of alslot, i, one partof which is made longitudinally in the tube or slide E, and the other parts made so as to project at right angles from the two ends of the longitudinal parts of the slot, and in opposite directions therefrom, as shown in Fig. l.` In this slot i a pin, j, in the rod h fits loosely. This pinj retains the tube or slide E on the rod h, and admits of the former being adjusted in two different positions on the rod h, one position being with the pin j in the lower horizontal partof the slot i, in which case thepointor spur vD is exposed, as shown in red in Fig. 3, and

the other position being with the pin j in the upper horizontal part of the slot t', in which case the point or spur is covered by the slide E, as shown in Fig. l. In the lower end of' the slide E there is ttted an annular piece of leather, k, or other suitable material, to serve as a bearing for the crutch when the slide E covers the point or spur.` The leather 7c rests or bears against a partition, l, in the slide E,

said partition having a circular opening' or tube, m, at its .center to admit of the point or spur passing through it. The interior of the slide or tube E below the partition Z may have a screw-thread cut in it to admit of theleather la, or other material used, being screwed firmly into the lower end of the slide E. (bee Fig. `3.) To the upper ends of the rods a a there are permanently secured two metal tubes, F F, one to each, and in these tubes F F tubes G G are fitted and allowed to work freely. The tubes Gr are each slotted longitudinally, as shown at m, in Fig. 1, and in each tube G 'a spiral spring, H, is fitted, the lower endsot` said springs being attachedv hy pins n to the lower ends of the tubes G. Through the upper ends ofthe springs H screws o, said screws passing through the tubes F and throughthe slots m inthe tubesG, the lower ends of the slots m being atthe upper ends of the springs H, when the latter are in a normal state, or not distended. In the upper end of each tube G there is fitted a rod, p, to the upper ends of which the shoulderpiece g of the crutch is attached.

From the above description it will be seen that when the crutch is in use the weight of the person is made to bear upon the springs H H, and that the latter,instead of being compressed, as hitherto, will be distended or stretched, and the full benet of their elasticity obtained. The springs when arranged in the ordinary way, so as to be compressed by the weight of the user of the crutch, lose their elasticity or the elasticity diminishes as the springs are compressed. and the latter are consequently far less efticient than when ar- The ranged according to my improvement. folding of the crutch is also a great improvement, as it enables the latter to .be stowed compactly away when not in use, while the point or spur D aords a mea'ns'to effectually prevent slipping when such a contingency is liable to occur, and the tube or slide E prevents the point or spur, when not required for use, serving as a means to disligure or injure carpets or flooring.

I would remark that the rods a a, prongs c c, and rods h p p may all be of wood. The metal tubes and ferrule may be of brass, or other suitable metal and I would further remark that the handle b, instead of being ot' wood, may be of metal and attached to the slides f. In this case the handle would serve as a mea-ns to assist in adjusting said slidesf. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. The spiral springs H H, fitted within the tubes G G, and secured at their lower ends to the lower ends of said tubes, in combination the tubes F F, in which the tubes G are fitted and allowed to slide freely, and to which the upper ends of the springs H are connected by screws o, which pass through the tubes F and through longitudinal slots m in the tubes G, substantially1 asfand for the purpose herein 'set forth.

2. Constructing the crutch with joints C, arranged as shown, or in an equivalent way, to admit of the folding of the crutch when desired, as herein described. f

3. The point or spur D, inserted in the lower end ot" the crutch, when used in combination with the sliding or adjustable tube E, provided with a catch or fastening, substantially as and for the purpose specitied.`

JOHN D. W. WEMPLE.

Witnesses:

R. BAMBER, T. S. GILLETT. 

